Etching Composition

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to etching compositions containing 1) at least one oxidizing agent; 2) at least one chelating agent; 3) at least one metal corrosion inhibitor; 4) at least one organic solvent; 5) at least one amidine base; and 6) water.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S.application Ser. No. 14/659,663, filed on Mar. 17, 2015, which claimspriority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/954,698, filed onMar. 18, 2014. The contents of the each of these priority applicationsare hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to compositions and processes toselectively etch titanium nitride in the presence of other materials,such as metal conductors, barrier materials, insulator materials, andexposed or underlying layers of copper, tungsten, and low-k dielectricmaterials.

BACKGROUND

The semiconductor industry is rapidly decreasing the dimensions andincreasing the density of electronic circuitry and electronic componentsin microelectronic devices, silicon chips, liquid crystal displays, MEMS(Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), printed wiring boards, and the like.The integrated circuits within them are being layered or stacked withconstantly decreasing thicknesses of the insulating layer between eachcircuitry layer and smaller and smaller feature sizes. As the featuresizes have shrunk, patterns have become smaller, and device performanceparameters tighter and more robust. As a result, various issues whichheretofore could be tolerated, can no longer be tolerated or have becomemore of an issue due to the smaller feature size.

In the production of advanced integrated circuits, to minimize problemsassociated with the higher density and to optimize performance, bothhigh k and low k insulators, and assorted barrier layer materials havebeen employed.

Titanium nitride (TiN) is utilized for semiconductor devices, liquidcrystal displays, MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems), printedwiring boards and the like, and as ground layers and cap layers forprecious metal, aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) wiring. In semiconductordevices, it may be used as a barrier metal, a hard mask, or a gatemetal.

In the construction of devices for these applications, TiN frequentlyneeds to be etched. In the various types of uses and device environmentsof TiN, other layers are in contact with or otherwise exposed at thesame time as the TiN is etched. Highly selective etching of the TiN inthe presence of these other materials (e.g. metal conductors,dielectric, and hard marks) is mandatory for device yield and long life.The etching process for the TiN may be a plasma etching process.However, using a plasma etching process on the TiN layer may causedamage to either or both the gate insulating layer and the semiconductorsubstrate. In addition, the etching process may remove a portion of thesemiconductor substrate by etching the gate insulating layer exposed bythe gate electrode. The electrical characteristics of the transistor maybe negatively impacted. To avoid such etching damage, additionalprotective device manufacturing steps may be employed, but atsignificant cost.

Wet etching methods for TiN are known. Such methods may include use ofetchants containing hydrofluoric acid in combination with otherreagents. However, the selectivity with silicon based dielectrics andmetals (e.g., Al) is not sufficient and other exposed metals in thedevice may also undergo corrosion or etching.

Hydrogen peroxide/ammonia/EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)mixtures and hydrogen peroxide/phosphate mixtures have been disclosed asmeans of overcoming the acidic HF based etchants. However, the etchrates obtained are insufficient.

Thus, there is a need for TiN etching solutions that have high etchrates, but have low etch and corrosion rates for other semiconductormaterials which are exposed or in contact with the TiN during theetching process.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to compositions and processes forselectively etching TiN relative to metal conductor layers, hard masklayers and low-k dielectric layers that are present in the semiconductordevice. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to acomposition and process for selectively etching titanium nitriderelative to copper, tungsten, and low-k dielectric layers.

In one aspect, the disclosure features an etching composition (e.g., anetching composition for selectively removing titanium nitride) thatincludes:

1) at least one oxidizing agent;

2) at least one chelating agent;

3) at least one metal corrosion inhibitor;

4) at least one organic solvent;

5) at least one amidine base; and

6) water.

In another aspect, the disclosure features a method that includescontacting a semiconductor substrate containing TiN features with anetching composition disclosed herein to remove the TiN features.

In still another aspect, the disclosure features an article formed bythe method described above, in which the article is a semiconductordevice (e.g., an integrated circuit).

In some embodiments, the etching compositions for selectively removingtitanium nitride contain:

1) about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of at least one oxidizing agent;

2) about 0.01% to about 1% by weight of at least one chelating agent;

3) about 0.05% to about 1% by weight of at least one metal corrosioninhibitor;

4) about 1% to about 30% by weight of at least one organic solvent;

5) about 0.1 to about 5% by weight of at least one amidine base (e.g.,to adjust the pH to between about 6.5 and about 9.5); and

6) about 35% to about 98% water.

In some embodiments, the etching compositions for selectively removingtitanium nitride contain:

1) about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of hydrogen peroxide;

2) about 0.01% to about 1% by weight of at least onepolyaminopolycarboxylic acid chelating agent;

3) about 0.05% to about 1% by weight of at least one metal corrosioninhibitor selected from the group consisting of substituted andunsubstituted benzotriazoles;

4) about 1% to about 30% by weight of at least one organic solventselected from the group consisting of water soluble alcohols, watersoluble ketones, water soluble esters, and water soluble ethers;

5) about 0.1 to about 5% by weight of at least one amidine base (e.g.,to adjust the pH to between about 6.5 and about 9.5); and

6) about 35% to about 98% water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

As defined herein, unless otherwise noted, all percentages expressedshould be understood to be percentages by weight to the total weight ofthe etching composition. Unless otherwise noted, ambient temperature isdefined to be between about 16 and about 27 degrees Celsius (° C.).

As defined herein, a “water-soluble” substance (e.g., a water-solublealcohol, ketone, ester, or ether) refers to a substance having asolubility of at least 5% by weight in water at 25° C.

In one aspect, the disclosure features an etching composition (e.g., anetching composition for selectively removing titanium nitride) thatincludes:

1) at least one oxidizing agent;

2) at least one chelating agent;

3) at least one metal corrosion inhibitor;

4) at least one organic solvent;

5) at least one amidine base; and

6) water.

The etching compositions of this disclosure can contain any oxidizingagent suitable for use in microelectronic cleaning compositions.Examples of the oxidizing agent to be used in the compositions of thisdisclosure include, but are not limited to, peroxides (e.g., hydrogenperoxide, dialkylperoxides, urea hydrogen peroxide), persulfonic acid(e.g., hexafluoropropanepersulfonic acid, methanepersulfonic acid,trifluoromethanepersulfonic acid, or p-toluenepersulfonic acid) andsalts thereof, ozone, percarbonic acids (e.g., peracetic acid) and saltsthereof, perphosphoric acid and salts thereof, persulfuric acid andsalts thereof (e.g., ammonium persulfate or tetramethylammoniumpersulfate), perchloric acid and salts thereof (e.g., ammoniumperchlorate or tetramethylammonium perchlorate), and periodic acid andsalts thereof (e.g., ammonium periodate or tetramethylammoniumperiodate). These oxidizing agents can be used singly or in combination.

In some embodiments, the etching compositions of this disclosure includeat least about 0.1% by weight (e.g., at least about 1% by weight, atleast about 5% by weight, or at least about 10% by weight) and/or atmost about 30% by weight (e.g., at most about 25% by weight, at mostabout 20% by weight, or at most about 15% by weight) of the oxidizingagent.

The etching compositions of this disclosure contain at least onechelating agent, which can be, but is not limited to, apolyaminopolycarboxylic acid. For the purposes of this disclosure, apolyaminopolycarboxylic acid refers to a compound with a plurality ofamino groups and a plurality of carboxylic acid groups. Suitable classesof polyaminopolycarboxylic acid chelating agents include, but are notlimited to mono- or polyalkylene polyamine polycarboxylic acids,polyaminoalkane polycarboxyalic acids, polyaminoalkanol polycarboxylicacids, and hydroxyalkylether polyamine polycarboxylic acids.

Suitable polyaminopolycarboxylic acid chelating agents include, but arenot limited to, butylenediaminetetraacetic acid,diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediaminetetrapropionicacid, triethylenetetraminehexaacetic acid,1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane-N, N, N′,N′-tetraacetic acid,propylenediaminetetraacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid(EDTA), trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane tetraacetic acid, ethylendiaminediacetic acid, ethylendiamine dipropionic acid,1,6-hexamethylene-diamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid,N,N-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)ethylenediamine-N,N-diacetic acid,diaminopropane tetraacetic acid,1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-tetraacetic acid, diaminopropanoltetraacetic acid, and (hydroxyethyl)ethylene-diaminetriacetic acid.

In some embodiments, the etching compositions of this disclosure includeat least about 0.01% by weight (e.g., at least about 0.1% by weight, atleast about 0.2% by weight, or at least about 0.3% by weight) and/or atmost about 1% by weight (e.g., at most about 0.7% by weight, at mostabout 0.6% by weight, or at most about 0.5% by weight) of thepolyaminopolycarboxylic acid chelating agent.

The etching compositions of this disclosure contain at least one metalcorrosion inhibitor selected from substituted or unsubstitutedbenzotriazoles. Suitable classes of substituted benzotriazole include,but are not limited to, benzotriazoles substituted with alkyl groups,aryl groups, halogen groups, amino groups, nitro groups, alkoxy groups,and hydroxyl groups. Substituted benzotriazoles also include those fusedwith one or more aryl (e.g., phenyl) or heteroaryl groups.

Suitable benzotriazoles for use as a metal corrosion inhibitor include,but are not limited to, benzotriazole (BTA), 5-aminobenzotriazole,1-hydroxybenzotriazole, 5-phenylthiol-benzotriazole,5-chlorobenzotriazole, 4-chlorobenzotriazole, 5-bromobenzotriazole,4-bromobenzotriazole, 5-fluorobenzotriazole, 4-fluorobenzotriazole,naphthotriazole, tolyltriazole, 5-phenyl-benzotriazole,5-nitrobenzotriazole, 4-nitrobenzotriazole,2-(5-amino-pentyl)-benzotriazole, 1-amino-benzotriazole,5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole, benzotriazole-5-carboxylic acid, 4-methylbenzotriazole, 4-ethylbenzotriazole, 5-ethylbenzotriazole,4-propylbenzotriazole, 5-propylbenzotriazole, 4-isopropylbenzotriazole,5-isopropylbenzotriazole, 4-n-butylbenzotriazole,5-n-butylbenzotriazole, 4-isobutylbenzotriazole,5-isobutylbenzotriazole, 4-pentylbenzotriazole, 5-pentylbenzotriazole,4-hexylbenzotriazole, 5-hexylbenzotriazole, 5-m ethoxybenzotriazole,5-hydroxybenzotriazole, dihydroxypropylbenzotriazole, 1-[N,N-bis(2-ethylhexyl)aminomethyl]-benzotriazole, 5-t-butyl benzotriazole,5-(1′,1′-dimethylpropyl)-benzotriazole,5-(1′,1′,3′-trimethylbutyl)benzotriazole, 5-n-octyl benzotriazole, and5-(1′,1′,3′,3′-tetramethylbutyl)benzotriazole.

In some embodiments, the etching compositions of this disclosure includeat least about 0.05% by weight (e.g., at least about 0.1% by weight, atleast about 0.2% by weight, or at least about 0.3% by weight) and/or atmost about 1% by weight (e.g., at most about 0.7% by weight, at mostabout 0.6% by weight, or at most about 0.5% by weight) of the metalcorrosion inhibitor.

The etching compositions of this disclosure contain at least one organicsolvent. Preferably the organic solvent is selected from the groupconsisting of water soluble alcohols, water soluble ketones, watersoluble esters, and water soluble ethers (e.g., glycol diethers).

Classes of water soluble alcohols include, but are not limited to,alkane diols (including, but not limited to, alkylene glycols), glycols,alkoxyalcohols (including but not limited to glycol monoethers),saturated aliphatic monohydric alcohols, unsaturated non-aromaticmonohydric alcohols, and low molecular weight alcohols containing a ringstructure.

Examples of water soluble alkane diols includes, but are not limited to,2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-diol,1,4-butanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,2-butanediol, 2,3-butanediol, pinacol,and alkylene glycols.

Examples of water soluble alkylene glycols include, but are not limitedto, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropyleneglycol, triethylene glycol and tetraethylene glycol.

Examples of water soluble alkoxyalcohols include, but are not limitedto, 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methoxy-1-butanol,1-methoxy-2-butanol, and water soluble glycol monoethers.

Examples of water soluble glycol monoethers include, but are not limitedto, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether,ethylene glycol mono n-propyl ether, ethylene glycol monoisopropylether, ethylene glycol mono n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethylether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, diethylene glycolmonobutylether, triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, triethylene glycolmonoethyl ether, triethylene glycol monobutyl ether,1-methoxy-2-propanol, 2-methoxy-1-propanol, 1-ethoxy-2-propanol,2-ethoxy-1-propanol, propylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether, dipropyleneglycol monomethyl ether, dipropylene glycol monoethyl ether, dipropyleneglycol monobutyl ether, dipropylene glycol mono-n-propyl ether,tripropylene glycol monoethyl ether, tripropylene glycol monomethylether, ethylene glycol monobenzyl ether, and diethylene glycolmonobenzyl ether.

Examples of water soluble saturated aliphatic monohydric alcoholsinclude, but are not limited to, methanol, ethanol, n-propyl alcohol,isopropyl alcohol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutyl alcohol, tert-butylalcohol, 2-pentanol, t-pentyl alcohol, and 1-hexanol.

Examples of water soluble unsaturated non-aromatic monohydric alcoholsinclude, but are not limited to, allyl alcohol, propargyl alcohol,2-butenyl alcohol, 3-butenyl alcohol, and 4-penten-2-ol.

Examples of water soluble, low molecular weight alcohols containing aring structure include, but are not limited, to tetrahydrofurfurylalcohol, furfuryl alcohol, and 1,3-cyclopentanediol.

Examples of water soluble ketones include, but are not limited to,acetone, cyclobutanone, cyclopentanone, diacetone alcohol, 2-butanone,5-hexanedione, 1,4-cyclohexanedione, 3-hydroxyacetophenone,1,3-cyclohexanedione, and cyclohexanone.

Examples of water soluble esters include, but are not limited to, ethylacetate, glycol monoesters (such as ethylene glycol monoacetate anddiethyleneglycol monoacetate), and glycol monoether monoesters (such aspropylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monomethylether acetate, propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, and ethyleneglycol monoethyl ether acetate).

In some embodiments, the etching compositions of this disclosure includeat least about 1% by weight (e.g., at least about 5% by weight, at leastabout 8% by weight, or at least about 10% by weight) and/or at mostabout 30% by weight (e.g., at most about 25% by weight, at most about20% by weight, or at most about 15% by weight) of the organic solvent.

The etching compositions of this disclosure contain at least one amidinebase. The term amidine base in this disclosure is used to describe acompound having as a substructural group “N¹—C═N²” with the provisoneither nitrogen is embedded in an aromatic or pseudoaromatic ring(e.g., imidazole, pyridine, thiazole, oxazole, or pyrimidine rings) andfurthermore is not considered an amine. Examples of suitable amidinebases include, but are not limited to substituted or unsubstitutedformamidines, substituted or unsubstituted acetamidines (such as methylacetamidine and ethyl acetamidine), substituted or unsubstitutedbenzamidines, diminazen, and compounds containing an amidine group in afused non-aromatic ring (such as 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene(DBU) and 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene (DBN)).

In some embodiments, the etching compositions of this disclosure includeat least about 0.1% by weight (e.g., at least about 0.3% by weight, atleast about 0.5% by weight, or at least about 0.7% by weight) and/or atmost about 5% by weight (e.g., at most about 3% by weight, at most about2% by weight, or at most about 1% by weight) of the amidine base.

The etching compositions of the present disclosure further includewater. Preferably, the water is de-ionized and ultra-pure, contains noorganic contaminants and has a minimum resistivity of about 4 to about17 mega Ohms. More preferably, the resistivity of the water is at leastabout 17 mega Ohms.

In some embodiments, the etching compositions of this disclosure includeat least about 35% by weight (e.g., at least about 45% by weight, atleast about 50% by weight, or at least about 55% by weight) and/or atmost about 98% by weight (e.g., at most about 95% by weight, at mostabout 85% by weight, or at most about 70% by weight) of water.

In some embodiments, the compositions of this disclosure can have a pHof at least about 6.5 (e.g., at least about 7, at least about 7.5, or atleast about 8) and/or at most about 9.5 (e.g., at most about 9, at mostabout 8.5, or at most about 8). Without wishing to be bound by theory,it is believed that an etching composition having a pH lower than 6.5would significantly increase cobalt etch rate and reduce TiN etch rate,and an etching composition having a pH higher than 9.5 would result inincreased decomposition of the oxidizing agent (e.g., hydrogen peroxide)and significantly increased corrosion to tungsten. In order to obtainthe desired pH, the relative concentrations of thepolyaminopolycarboxylic acid, the benzotriazole (or its derivative), andthe amidine base may be adjusted.

In addition, in some embodiments, the etching compositions of thepresent disclosure may contain additives such as, additional pHadjusting agents, additional corrosion inhibitors, surfactants,additional organic solvents, biocides, and defoaming agents as optionalcomponents.

Examples of suitable defoaming agents include polysiloxane defoamers(e.g., polydimethylsiloxane), polyethylene glycol methyl ether polymers,ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers, and glycidyl ether cappedacetylenic diol ethoxylates (such as those described in U.S. Pat. No.6,717,019, herein incorporated by reference). Optional surfactants maybe cationic, anionic, nonionic or amphoteric.

In some embodiments, the etching compositions of the present disclosuremay specifically exclude one or more of the additive components, in anycombination, if more than one. Such components are selected from thegroup consisting of oxygen scavengers, quaternary ammonium salts,including quaternary ammonium hydroxides, amines, alkaline bases (suchas NaOH, KOH, and LiOH), surfactants other than a defoamer, a defoamer,fluoride containing compounds, abrasives, hydroxycarboxylic acids,carboxylic and polycarboxylic acids lacking amino groups, bufferingagents, and non-azole corrosion inhibitors.

The etching compositions of this disclosure may be prepared by simplymixing the components together, or may be prepared by blending twocompositions in a kit. The first composition in the kit can be anaqueous solution of an oxidizing agent (e.g., hydrogen peroxide). Thesecond composition in the kit can contain remaining components of theetching compositions of this disclosure at predetermined ratios in aconcentrated form such that the blending of the two compositions willyield a desired composition of the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the second composition of the kit contains:

1) about 0.1% to about 8% by weight of at least one chelating agent(e.g., at least one polyaminopolycarboxylic acid chelating agent);

2) about 0.4% to about 8% by weight of at least one metal corrosioninhibitor (e.g., at least one substituted or unsubstitutedbenzotriazole);

3) about 40% to about 90% by weight of at least one organic solvent(e.g., at least one organic solvent selected from the group consistingof water soluble alcohols, water soluble ketones, water soluble esters,and water soluble ethers);

4) about 1.0% to about 7% by weight of an amidine base; and

5) about 5% to about 15% water.

In some embodiments, the second composition of the kit contains:

1) about 0.1% to about 8% by weight of at least one chelating agent(e.g., at least one polyaminopolycarboxylic acid chelating agent);

2) about 0.4% to about 8% by weight of at least one metal corrosioninhibitor (e.g., at least one substituted or unsubstitutedbenzotriazole);

3) about 5% to about 90% by weight of at least one organic solvent(e.g., at least one organic solvent selected from the group consistingof water soluble alcohols, water soluble ketones, water soluble esters,and water soluble ethers);

4) about 1.0% to about 7% by weight of an amidine base; and

5) about 5% to about 50% water.

Alternatively, the etching compositions of this disclosure may beprepared by blending three compositions in a kit. In such embodiments,the first composition can include the oxidizing agent in the form of anaqueous concentrate, the second composition can include water only, andthe third composition can include all of the remaining components of theetching compositions of this disclosure at predetermined ratios.

For example, a 100 g sample of a composition of this disclosure could bemade by blending 87.75 g of a first composition containing 20% hydrogenperoxide with 12.25 g of a second composition containing 81% EGBE, 2%5-methylbenzotriazole, 2.0% diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, 5% DBU,and 10% water. Alternatively, the same composition could be prepared byblending of 56.27 g of 31.1% hydrogen peroxide, 31.48 g of water and12.25 g of a composition of 81% EGBE, 2% 5-methylbenzotriazole, 2.0%diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, 5% DBU, and 10% water.

One embodiment of the present disclosure is a method of etching asemiconductor substrate containing TiN features that includes contactinga semiconductor substrate containing TiN features with an etchingcomposition of this disclosure to remove the TiN features. The methodcan further include rinsing the semiconductor substrate with a rinsesolvent after the contacting step and/or drying the semiconductorsubstrate after the rinsing step. In some embodiments, the method doesnot substantially remove Co, SiN, or Cu in the semiconductor substrate.For example, the method does not remove more than about 5% by weight(e.g., more than about 3% by weight or more than about 1% by weight) ofCo, SiN, or Cu in the semiconductor substrate.

In some embodiments, the etching method includes the steps of:

(A) providing a semiconductor substrate containing TiN features;(B) contacting the semiconductor substrate with an etching compositiondescribed herein;(C) rinsing the semiconductor substrate with one or more suitable rinsesolvents; and(D) optionally, drying the semiconductor substrate (e.g., by anysuitable means that removes the rinse solvent and does not compromisethe integrity of said semiconductor substrate).

In some embodiments, the etching method further includes forming asemiconductor device (e.g., an integrated circuit device such as asemiconductor chip) from the semiconductor substrate obtained by themethod described above.

The semiconductor substrates containing TiN features to be etched inthis method can contain organic and organometallic residues, andadditionally, a range of metal oxides that may also be removed duringthe etching process.

Semiconductor substrates typically are constructed of silicon, silicongermanium, Group III-V compounds like GaAs, or any combination thereof.The semiconductor substrates may additionally contain exposed integratedcircuit structures such as interconnect features like metal lines anddielectric materials. Metals and metal alloys used for interconnectfeatures include, but are not limited to, aluminum, aluminum alloyedwith copper, copper, titanium, tantalum, cobalt, silicon, titaniumnitride, tantalum nitride, and tungsten. The semiconductor substrate mayalso contain layers of interlayer dielectrics, silicon oxide, siliconnitride, silicon carbide, titanium oxide, and carbon doped siliconoxides.

The semiconductor substrate can be contacted with the etchingcomposition by any suitable method, such as placing the etchingcomposition into a tank and immersing and/or submerging thesemiconductor substrate into the etching composition, spraying theetching composition onto the semiconductor substrate, streaming theetching composition onto the semiconductor substrate, or anycombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the semiconductor substrateis immersed into the etching composition.

The etching compositions of the present disclosure may be effectivelyused up to a temperature of about 85° C. In some embodiments, theetching compositions can be used from about 20° C. to about 80° C. Insome embodiments, the etching compositions can be employed in thetemperature range from about 55° C. to about 65° C. In some embodiments,a temperature range of about 60° C. to about 65° C. is employed. Theetch rate of TiN increases with temperature in this range, thusprocesses with higher temperature can be run for shorter times and lowertemperatures require longer etching times.

Etching times can vary over a wide range depending on the particularetching method, thickness and temperature employed. When etching in animmersion batch type process, a suitable time range is, for example, upto about 10 minutes. In some embodiments, a range for a batch typeprocess is from about 1 minute to about 7 minutes. In some embodiments,a time range for a batch type process is from about 1 minute to about 5minutes. In some embodiments, a time range for a batch type etchingprocess is from about 2 minutes to about 4 minutes.

Etching times for a single wafer process may range from about 30 secondsto about 5 minutes. In some embodiments, an etching time for a singlewafer process may range from about 30 seconds to about 4 minutes. Insome embodiments, an etching time for a single wafer process may rangefrom about 1 minute to about 3 minutes. In some embodiments, an etchingtime for a single wafer process may range from about 1 minute to about 2minutes.

To further promote the etching ability of the etching composition of thepresent disclosure, mechanical agitation means may be employed. Examplesof suitable agitation means include circulation of the etchingcomposition over the substrate, streaming or spraying the etchingcomposition over the substrate, and ultrasonic or megasonic agitationduring the etching process. The orientation of the semiconductorsubstrate relative to the ground may be at any angle. Horizontal orvertical orientations are preferred.

Subsequent to the etching, the semiconductor substrate is rinsed with asuitable rinse solvent for about 5 seconds up to about 5 minutes with orwithout agitation means. Multiple rinse steps employing different rinsesolvents may be employed. Examples of suitable rinse solvents include,but are not limited to, deionized (DI) water, methanol, ethanol,isopropyl alcohol, N-methylpyrrolidinone, gamma-butyrolactone, dimethylsulfoxide, ethyl lactate and propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate.Alternatively, or in addition, aqueous rinses with pH>8 (such as diluteaqueous ammonium hydroxide) may be employed. Examples of rinse solventsinclude, but are not limited to, dilute aqueous ammonium hydroxide, DIwater, methanol, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol. In some embodiments, therinse solvents are dilute aqueous ammonium hydroxide, DI water andisopropyl alcohol. In some embodiments, the rinse solvents are diluteaqueous ammonium hydroxide and DI water. The solvent may be appliedusing means similar to that used in applying an etching compositiondescribed herein. The etching composition may have been removed from thesemiconductor substrate prior to the start of the rinsing step or it maystill be in contact with the semiconductor substrate at the start of therinsing step. In some embodiments, the temperature employed in therinsing step is between 16° C. and 27° C.

Optionally, the semiconductor substrate is dried after the rinsing step.Any suitable drying means known in the art may be employed. Examples ofsuitable drying means include spin drying, flowing a dry gas across thesemiconductor substrate, or heating the semiconductor substrate with aheating means such as a hotplate or infrared lamp, Maragoni drying,rotagoni drying, IPA drying or any combinations thereof. Drying timeswill be dependent on the specific method employed but are typically onthe order of 30 seconds up to several minutes.

EXAMPLES

The present disclosure is illustrated in more detail with reference tothe following examples, which are for illustrative purposes and shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. Anypercentages listed are by weight (wt %) unless otherwise specified.Controlled stirring during testing was done with a 1 inch stirring barat 300 rpm unless otherwise noted.

General Procedure 1 Formulation Blending

Sample etching compositions were prepared using commercially availablereagent grade or electronics grade high purity ingredients. All testsamples were prepared at 200 gram test size individually in 250 mL HDPEbottles using the same ingredients with the same order of addition. Tothe 250 mL bottle, each sample was prepared by addition by weight of 1)ethylene glycol butyl ether co-solvent, 2) 5-MBTA corrosion inhibitor,3) ˜95% of total required ultra-pure deionized water, 4) hydrogenperoxide (31%), and 5) DTPA. The sample was stirred using a 1″ stir barat 325 rpm in the 250 mL HDPE bottle to achieve full solubility of allcomponents at 20° C. Once fully blended, the sample was transferred fromthe 250 mL HDPE bottle to a 600 mL glass beaker, placed on a hot plate,and heated to the target temperature (65° C.). During this heatingperiod and pH adjustment stage, the 600 mL glass beaker was sealed toprevent evaporative loss using a flexible Parafilm® cover. The 600 mLglass beaker containing approximately 190 grams of sample solution wasstirred continuously while heating using a 1″ stir bar at 400 rpm. Apre-calibrated, standard epoxy body pH probe was then placed into thesample solution while stirring, and pH response of the probe was allowedto equilibrate to temperature. At that point, the base pH-adjustor wasincrementally added by volumetric pipette while the pH was monitoreduntil the target pH was reached at 65° C. Once the target pH wasreached, the final addition of remaining DI water was used to bring thefinal test sample weight to exactly 200 g. The weight of added DI waterand base adjustor were calculated and the total amounts of allcomponents were recorded in the data record in weight percent. Thetemperature was measured during the tests using pre-calibrated Tefloncoated glass thermometers to insure the temperature was within ±1 degreeCelsius of the target during testing and pH adjustments at temperature.Later test sample blends would be made in the same addition order atroom temperature as needed once the precise amounts of pH adjusting basewere known from the 65° C. pH adjustment evaluations and were done in200 g or 400 g batch sizes.

General Procedure 2 Materials and Methods

Blanket film etch rate measurements on films were carried out usingcommercially available unpatterned 300 mm diameter wafers that werediced into 0.5″×0.5″ test coupons for evaluation. Primary blanket filmmaterials used for testing include 1) unalloyed cobalt metal film ofabout 200 Å thickness deposited on a silicon substrate, 2) unalloyedcopper metal film of about 800 Å thickness deposited on a siliconsubstrate, 3) titanium nitride film of about 200 Å thickness depositedon 1000 Å SiO₂ on a silicon substrate, and 4) blanket silicon nitridefilm of either 700 or 1350 Å thickness deposited on a silicon substrate.Additional blanket materials evaluated include ILD 1 and ILD 2[proprietary interlayer low k dielectrics] of 1000 or 2500 Å thicknesson SiO₂ on a silicon substrate.

The blanket film test coupons were measured for pre-treatment andpost-treatment thickness to determine blanket film etch rates. For thecobalt and copper metal blanket films, the film thickness was measuredby sheet resistance using a CDE Resmap 273 4-point probe. For the SiN,TiN, and ILD (dielectric films), the film thicknesses were measuredpre-treatment and post-treatment by Ellipsometry using a WoollamM-2000X.

Patterned test coupons were evaluated for etching and materialscompatibility in the test solutions prepared by General Procedure 1according to the procedures described in General Procedure 3.

Two types of patterned wafers were evaluated for materials compatibilityand/or etching response. For materials compatibility, a chemicalmechanically polished 300 mm wafer consisting of patterned cobalt metalinlayed into an ILD (dielectric pattern) was used to evaluate cobalt andILD compatibility for the test formulations. The post-treatment testcoupons were then subjected to evaluation by scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM). The SEM images from the post treatment coupon werecompared to a previously taken pre-treatment SEM image set to evaluatematerials compatibility and etching response of each test formulationwith the patterned test device features.

General Procedure 3 Etching Evaluation with Beaker Test

All blanket film etch rate and patterned coupon etch testing was carriedout in a 65° C. heated 600 mL glass beaker containing 200 g of a samplesolution with continuous stirring at 250 rpm, with the Parafilm® coverin place at all times to minimize evaporative losses. All blanket orpatterned test coupons having either a pattern or a blanket metal ordielectric film exposed on one side to the sample solution were diced bydiamond scribe into 0.5″×0.5″ square test coupon size for beaker scaletesting. Each individual test coupon was held into position using asingle 4″ long, locking plastic tweezers clip. The test coupon, held onone edge by the locking tweezers clip, was suspended into the 600 mLglass beaker and immersed into the 200 g test solution while thesolution was heated at 65° C. and stirred continuously at 250 rpm.Immediately after each sample coupon was placed into the heated andstirred solution, the top of the 600 mL glass beaker was covered andresealed with Parafilm®. The test coupons were held static in thestirred, heated solution until the treatment time (as described inGeneral Procedures 3A and 3B) had elapsed. After the treatment time inthe test solution had elapsed, the sample coupons were immediatelyremoved from the 600 mL glass beaker and rinsed according to GeneralProcedure 3A (blanket test coupons) or General Procedure 3B (patternedcoupons). After the final DI rinse step, all test coupons were subjectto a filtered nitrogen gas blow off step using a hand held nitrogen gasblower which forcefully removed all traces of DI water to produce afinal dry sample for test measurements.

General Procedure 3A (Blanket Test Coupons)

Immediately after a treatment time of 10 minutes according to GeneralProcedure 3, the coupon was immersed in a 1000 mL volume of ultra-highpurity deionized (DI) water with ˜1 liter/min overflow rate at 20° C.for 30 seconds and then for an additional 30 seconds with mildagitation. The processing was completed according to General Procedure3.

General Procedure 3B (Patterned Test Coupons)

Immediately after a treatment time of 3 or 20 minutes (depending on theexperiment) the patterned test coupon was immersed in a 1000 mL volumeof ultra-high purity deionized water with ˜1 liter/min overflow rate at20° C. for 30 seconds with mild agitation to affect an initial DI waterrinse step. The patterned test coupons were removed from the DI waterrinse and immediately placed into a 1000 ml volume of dilute NH₄OH (˜0.3wt %) for 30 seconds with mild agitation, followed by a final 30 secondrinse in the 1000 mL DI water overflow rinse. The processing wascompleted according to General Procedure 3.

Examples 1 and 2

The formulations in Table 1 were used to etch TiN according to GeneralProcedures 3 and 3A.

In order for the compositions to be appropriate for use in themanufacturing process, several conditions need to be simultaneously met.These conditions are a) having a TiN etch rate>100 Å/minute; b) having aCo etch rate of <1 Å/minute; c) maintaining compatibility with othermaterials exposed to the etchant when etching TiN, and d) having shelflife stability in order to maintain a), b), and c) over time. It ispreferred that the etch time be 3 minutes or less in manufacturing.Table 1 summarizes the ingredients and their amounts used in FormulationExamples 1 and 2 (i.e., FE-1 and FE-2). The results of etchingexperiments employing Formulation Examples 1 and 2 with variousmaterials are reported in Table 2.

TABLE 1 WATER POLYAMINO- SOLUBLE POLY- FORM. ORGANIC CARBOXYLIC 31.1%H₂O EX. # SOLVENT TRIAZOLE ACID AMIDINE H₂O₂ ADDED FE-1 EGBE (40.00 g)5MBTA DTPA (1.00 g) DBU (2.66 g) 153.34 g 201.12 g (0.88 g) FE-2 EGBE(40.00 g) 5MBTA DTPA (1.00 g) DBN (2.05 g) 153.34 g 201.73 g (0.88 g)EGBE = ethylene glycol monobutyl ether; 5MBTA = 5-methyl benzotriazoleDTPA = diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid; DBU =1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene; DBN =1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene

TABLE 2 EX. # 1 2 Form. Ex. # FE-1 FE-2 TiN etch rate* 206 ± 3.2   301 ±32.3 Cobalt etch rate* 0.16 0.16 SiN etch rate* 0.31 ± 0.30 0.44 ± 0.06ILD 1 0.0 0.40 ± 0.24 ILD 2 0.30 ± 0.42 1.27 ± 0.60 Cu etch rate* 1.451.45 pH 8.12 8.11 pH (aged**) 7.35 7.51 *angstroms/minute **aged 18hours at 60° C.

The results in Table 2 show that the etching compositions of thisdisclosure have high TiN etch rates, low Co etch rates, and maintaincompatibility with SiN, ILD1, ILD2, and Cu films. When the etchant isaged at 60° C. for 18 hours, there is a drop in pH, although the etchingresults were similar.

Examples 3-4 and Comparative Examples CE-1-CE-4

The compositions in Table 3 were used to study the effect of pH on theTiN, Co, SiN, and Cu etch rates. The compositions were essentially thesame except for the amount of DBU added to adjust the pH, with thecorresponding amount of water removed. The etching was carried outaccording to General Procedures 3 and 3A. The results are shown in Table4.

TABLE 3 WATER POLYAMINO- SOLUBLE POLY- FORM. ORGANIC CARBOXYLIC 31.1%H₂O EX. # SOLVENT TRIAZOLE ACID AMIDINE H₂O₂ ADDED pH CFE-1 EGBE 5MBTADTPA (1.00 g) DBU 153.34 g 202.3 g 4.00 (40.00 g) (0.88 g) (1.75 g)CFE-2 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA (1.00 g) DBU 153.34 g 201.63 g 5.00 (40.00 g)(0.88 g) (2.15 g) CFE-3 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA (1.00 g) DBU 153.34 g 201.54 g5.50 (40.00 g) (0.88 g) (2.24 g) CFE-4 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA (1.00 g) DBU153.34 g 201.5 g 6.00 (40.00 g) (0.88 g) (2.28 g) FE-3 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA(1.00 g) DBU 153.34 g 201.48 g 6.50 (40.00 g) (0.88 g) (2.30 g) FE-4EGBE 5MBTA DTPA (1.00 g) DBU 153.34 g 201.12 g 8.2-8.3 (40.00 g) (0.88g) (2.66 g) EGBE = ethylene glycol monobutyl ether DTPA =diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid 5MBTA = 5-methyl benzotriazole DBU =1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene

TABLE 4 Cobalt FORM. TiN etch etch SiN etch Cu etch Ex. # EX. # rate*rate* rate* rate* pH CE-1 CFE-1  57.1 ± 5.29 28.73 0 27.8 4 CE-2 CFE-240.9 ± 0.3 29.47 0 1.86 5 CE-3 CFE-3 53.3 ± 0.2 7.57 0.37 1.39 5.5 CE-4CFE-4 86.4 ± 3.3 1.01 not 1.49 6 measured 3 FE-3 107.8 ± 2.9  0.22 not1.35 6.5 measured 4 FE-4 206 ± 9  0.3 0.6 1.4 8.2-8.3 *angstroms/minute

The data in Table 4 shows that the pH plays an important role in theetching of the TiN and Co Films. As the pH drops, the TiN etch ratedrops, and the Co etch rate increases. Only at a pH of above about 6.5are the criteria a) and b) above simultaneously met. Considering the pHdrop noted with aging, and the increase in TiN etch rate with increasingpH. In some embodiments, the pH is at least above about 7. In someembodiments, the pH is at least above about 7.5. In some embodiments,the pH is at least above about 8.

Examples 5-6 and Comparative Examples CE-5 to CE-9

The formulations in Table 5 containing either an amidine or an aminecompound as a comparative were employed to conduct an aging study. TiNand Co films were etched according to General Procedures 3 and 3A withthe compositions after aging at 60° C. for 120 hours. The results areshown in Table 6.

TABLE 5 WATER POLYAMINO- SOLUBLE POLY- FORM. ORGANIC CARBOXYLIC 30.0%H₂O EX. # SOLVENT TRIAZOLE ACID BASE H₂O₂ ADDED FE-5 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA(0.50 g) DBU (1.04 g) 33.67 g 131.35 g (20.00 g) (0.44 g) CFE-5 EGBE5MBTA DTPA (0.50 g) ethanolamine 33.67 g 131.95 g (20.00 g) (0.44 g)(0.44 g) CFE-6 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA (0.50 g) diethylamine 33.67 g 131.74 g(20.00 g) (0.44 g) (0.65 g) CFE-7 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA (0.50 g) triethylamine33.67 g 131.67 g (20.00 g) (0.44 g) (0.72 g) FE-6 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA (0.50g) DBN (0.84 g) 33.67 g 131.55 g (20.00 g) (0.44 g) CFE-8 EGBE 5MBTADTPA (0.50 g) diethanolamine 33.67 g 131.13 g (20.00 g) (0.44 g) (1.26g) CFE-9 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA (0.50 g) triethanolamine 33.67 g 129.39 g(20.00 g) (0.44 g) (3.00 g) DBU = 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene DBN= 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene DTPA = diethylenetriaminepentaaceticacid 5MBTA = 5-methyl benzotriazole EGBE = ethylene glycol monobutylether

TABLE 6 FORM. TiN Cobalt pH EX. # EX. # etch rate* etch rate* pH (aged)5 FE-5 124.7  0.10 8.19 5.82 CE-5 CFE-5 44.0 >20 8.13 4.55 CE-6 CFE-621.1 >20 8.16 4.50 CE-7 CFE-7 not measured >20 8.10 5.38 6 FE-6  100.450.07 8.17 6.29 CE-8 CFE-8 not measured >20 8.14 4.25 CE-9 CFE-9 notmeasured >20 8.12 5.03 *angstroms/minute after aging at 60° C. for 120hours

The data shows that conventional amines employed in the compositions tocontrol pH do not have the shelf life stability that the amidine basesin the compositions of this disclosure do. The pH of ComparativeFormulations CFE-5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 dropped from over 8 to less than pH5.4, whereas Formulations FE-5 and FE-6 maintained a pH>5.8.Furthermore, Formulations FE-5 and FE-6 still yielded a TiN etchrate>100 Å/minute and a Co etch rate of <1 Å/minute, while thecomparative examples had a Co etch rate of >20 Å/minute and a TiN etchrate of <100 Å/minute.

Examples 7 and 8

Patterned wafers (as described in General Procedure 2) were etched for 3minutes according to General Procedures 3 and 3B using FormulationExamples FE-3 (Example 7) and FE-4 (Example 8). Clean etching andmaterials compatibility was confirmed by SEM imaging. SEM imagesdemonstrate a high titanium nitride etch rate with compatibility tocopper, cobalt, silicon nitride and low-k ILD films. Etch rates ofcopper, cobalt, silicon nitride and low-k ILD films were consistent withthe blanket film etch rates.

Examples 9 and 10

The compositions in Table 7 were used to study the effect of hydrogenperoxide content on the TiN, Co, SiN, and ILD, Cu etch rates. Thecompositions were essentially the same except for the amount of hydrogenperoxide added, with the corresponding amount of water removed. Theetching was carried out according to General Procedures 3 and 3A. Theresults are shown in Table 8.

TABLE 7 WATER POLYAMINO- SOLUBLE POLY- FORM. ORGANIC CARBOXYLIC 30.0%H₂O EX. # SOLVENT TRIAZOLE ACID AMIDINE H₂O₂ ADDED FE-7 EGBE 5MBTA DTPA(0.50 g) DBU  33.33 g 144.73 g (20.00 g) (0.44 g) (1.00 g) FE-8 EGBE5MBTA DTPA (0.50 g) DBU 116.67 g  61.39 g (20.00 g) (0.44 g) (1.00 g)

TABLE 8 EX. # 9 10 Form. Ex. # FE-7 FE-8 TiN etch rate* 114.0 ± 4.0 212.5 ± 1.8  Cobalt etch rate*  0.2 ± 0.04 0.24 ± 0.02 SiN etch rate*0.58 ± 0.17 0.39 ± 0.07 ILD 1 0.24 ± 0.07 0.58 ± 0.08 ILD 2 0.53 ± 0.250 Cu etch rate*  0.8 ± 0.54 1.90 ± 0.06 pH 7.85 7.4-7.5

Although some of the increase in etch rate may be due to a difference inpH, it is clear that an increase in the hydrogen peroxide contentincreased the TiN etch rate with only small effects on the etch rate ofother materials except Cu.

Formulation Examples FE-9 to FE-18

The compositions of the disclosure are further exemplified byFormulation Examples FE-9 to FE18 as shown in Table 9 below.

TABLE 9 WATER POLYAMINO- SOLUBLE POLY- FORM. ORGANIC CARBOXYLIC EX. #SOLVENT TRIAZOLE ACID AMIDINE OXIDIZER H₂O FE-9 PGME (20 g) BTA (0.2 g)EDTA (0.818 g) formamidine ammonium 58.746 g  (0.236 g) persulfate (20g) FE-10 TGA (15 g) 5-amino-triazole CDTA (0.1 g) acetamadine peraceticacid 69.3 g (0.5 g) (0.1 g) (15 g) FE-11 diethylene 4-n- DAPTA (0.2 g)methyl ammonium 59.1 g glycol (15 g) butylbenzotriazole acetamidineperchlorate (0.3 g) (0.4 g) (25 g) FE-12 2,3- benzotriazole-5- PDTA (0.3g) ethyl ammonium 53.7 g butanediol carboxylic acid acetamidineperiodate (15 g) (30 g) (0.7 g) (0.3 g) FE-13 Ethylene naphthotriazoleEDDA (0.5 g) diminazen Methane 43.7 g glycol (0.1 g) (0.7 g) persulfonicacid monobenzyl (30 g) ether (25 g) FE-14 cyclo- 5-phenyl- TTHA (0.60 g)benzamidine urea/hydrogen 78.065 g  hexanone benzotriazole (0.535 g)peroxide (10 g) (10 g) (0.8 g) FE-15 Propargyl 5- EDTA (0.75 g)formamidine p-toluene 63.25 g  alcohol (20 g) hydroxybenzotriazole (0.6g) persulfonic acid (0.4 g) (15 g) FE-16 2-butenyl 3-amino-5-mercapto-CDTA (0.1 g) acetamadine Perphosphoric 69.75 g  alcohol (10 g)1,2,4-triazole (0.1 g) acid (20 g) (0.05 g) FE-17 methanol (20 g) BTA(0.4 g) DAPTA (0.25 g) diminazen Tetramethyl- 68.95 g  (0.4 g) ammoniumperchlorate (10 g) FE-18 Pinacol 5-nitrobenzotriazole EDDA (0.65 g)methyl di-tert-butyl 62.075 (22 g) (0.075 g) acetamidine peroxide (15 g)(0.2 g) PGME = propylene glycol monomethyl ether CDTA =trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane tetraacetic acid TTHA =triethylenetetraminehexaacetic acid BTA = benzotriazole DAPTA =diaminopropanol tetraacetic acid PDTA = propylenediaminetetraacetic acidEDDA = ethylenediamine dipropionic acid

What is claimed is:
 1. An etching composition, comprising: 1) at leastone oxidizing agent comprising hydrogen peroxide, the at least oneoxidizing agent being in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 30% byweight of the composition; 2) at least one chelating agent, the at leastone chelating agent being in an amount of from about 0.01% to about 1%by weight of the composition; 3) at least one metal corrosion inhibitorcomprising substituted or unsubstituted benzotriazole, at the least onemetal corrosion inhibitor being in an amount of from about 0.05% toabout 1% by weight of the composition; 4) at least one organic solvent;5) at least one amidine base, the at least one amidine base being in anamount of from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the composition; and6) water; wherein the composition has a pH of from about 6.5 to at mostabout 9.5.
 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has apH from about 6.5 to about
 9. 3. The composition of claim 1, wherein theat least one oxidizing agent is in an amount of from about 1% to about30% by weight of the composition.
 4. The composition of claim 1, whereinthe at least one chelating agent comprises polyaminopolycarboxylic acid.5. The composition of claim 4, wherein the polyaminopolycarboxylic acidis selected from the group consisting of mono- or polyalkylene polyaminepolycarboxylic acids, polyaminoalkane polycarboxylic acids,polyaminoalkanol polycarboxylic acids, and hydroxyalkylether polyaminepolycarboxylic acids.
 6. The composition of claim 5, wherein thepolyaminopolycarboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting ofbutylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid,ethylenediaminetetrapropionic acid, triethylenetetraminehexaacetic acid,1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid,propylenediaminetetraacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid,trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane tetraacetic acid, ethylendiamine diaceticacid, ethylendiamine dipropionic acid,1,6-hexamethylene-diamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid,N,N-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)ethylenediamine-N,N-diacetic acid,diaminopropane tetraacetic acid, iminodiacetic acid;1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-tetraacetic acid, diaminopropanoltetraacetic acid, and (hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid. 7.The composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one chelating agent isin an amount of from about 0.1% to about 1% by weight of thecomposition.
 8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the at least onemetal corrosion inhibitor comprises a substituted benzotriazole.
 9. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the at least one metal corrosioninhibitor comprises a benzotriazole optionally substituted by at leastone substituent selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups, arylgroups, halogen groups, amino groups, nitro groups, alkoxy groups, andhydroxyl groups.
 10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the substitutedor unsubstituted benzotriazole is selected from the group consisting ofbenzotriazole, 5-aminobenzotriazole, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole,5-phenylthiol-benzotriazole, 5-chlorobenzotriazole,4-chlorobenzotriazole, 5-bromobenzotriazole, 4-bromobenzotriazole,5-fluorobenzotriazole, 4-fluorobenzotriazole, naphthotriazole,tolyltriazole, 5-phenyl-benzotriazole, 5-nitrobenzotriazole,4-nitrobenzotriazole, 2-(5-amino-pentyl)-benzotriazole,1-amino-benzotriazole, 5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole,benzotriazole-5-carboxylic acid, 4-m ethylbenzotriazole,4-ethylbenzotriazole, 5-ethylbenzotriazole, 4-propylbenzotriazole,5-propylbenzotriazole, 4-isopropylbenzotriazole,5-isopropylbenzotriazole, 4-n-butylbenzotriazole,5-n-butylbenzotriazole, 4-isobutylbenzotriazole,5-isobutylbenzotriazole, 4-pentylbenzotriazole, 5-pentylbenzotriazole,4-hexylbenzotriazole, 5-hexylbenzotriazole, 5-methoxybenzotriazole,5-hydroxybenzotriazole, dihydroxypropylbenzotriazole,1-[N,N-bis(2-ethylhexyl)aminomethyl]-benzotriazole, 5-t-butylbenzotriazole, 5-(1′,1′-dimethylpropyl)-benzotriazole,5-(1′,1′,3′-trimethylbutyl)benzotriazole, 5-n-octyl benzotriazole, and5-(1′,1′,3′,3′-tetramethylbutyl)benzotriazole.
 11. The composition ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one metal corrosion inhibitor is in anamount of from about 0.1% to about 1% by weight of the composition. 12.The composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one organic solventcomprises a solvent selected from the group consisting of water solublealcohols, water soluble ketones, water soluble esters, and water solubleethers.
 13. The composition of claim 1, wherein the compositioncomprises from about 1% to about 30% by weight of the at least oneorganic solvent.
 14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the at leastone amidine base comprises a compound selected from the group consistingof substituted or unsubstituted formamidines, substituted orunsubstituted acetamidines, substituted or unsubstituted benzamidines,diminazen, and compounds containing an amidine group in a fusednon-aromatic ring.
 15. The composition of claim 14, wherein the compoundcontaining an amidine group in a fused non-aromatic ring is1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene or 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene.16. The composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one amidine base isin the amount of from about 0.3% to about 5% by weight of thecomposition.
 17. The composition of claim 1, wherein the compositioncomprises from about 35% to about 98% of water.
 18. A method,comprising: contacting a semiconductor substrate containing TiN featureswith the composition of claim 1 to remove the TiN features.
 19. Themethod of claim 18, further comprising rinsing the semiconductorsubstrate with a rinse solvent after the contacting step.
 20. The methodof claim 19, further comprising drying the semiconductor substrate afterthe rinsing step.
 21. The method of claim 18, wherein the method doesnot substantially remove Co, SiN, or Cu in the semiconductor substrate.